Kitchen Backsplash Stencil

A fun project I started recently was to create an extremely cheap, but functional backsplash. I already had extra paint from my previous painting project in the living room and dinning room areas, so I was able to use that paint in addition to only a few more items! This cut down on costs and used the paint that was just sitting in my basement.

First step I made sure I taped off the edges of the cabinets.

After taping, I removed all of the outlet covers and prepped for painting.

I started off using a drop cloth, but it became fairly dangerous once I had to stand on the counters to reach the top portion of the walls above the cabinets. I highly recommend not standing on the drop cloth unless you can find a way to secure it and prevent any risk for slipping. 

For the base paint colors, I decided to mirror the dining room wall with the same dark green called Behr Alligator Skin  from Home Depot. I had painted opposing walls in the living room and one wall in the dinning room. I decided to keep things consistent with all of the first floor area (minus the half bath). The other walls are painted also with Behr paint in the color Wasabi green shown below. I chose both in a matte finish, which I do not recommend if you have children, but it worked out great for this project. 

If you are using latex paint you haven't used in a while, be sure to stir well and also add some water if need be. I personally always prefer latex for interior wall paint over oil bases just to cut down on the mess. 

This is the far left corner of the kitchen near the refridgerator. I decided not to continue the stencil above the cabinets to really create a backsplash effect instead of a wall detail effect. Of course, it always would be an option to continue the stencil pattern above if you prefer. 

Here you can see the paint is on the wall and now it's time for the challenging part! I decided to add a Polycrylic, also from Home Depot to protect the paint against splashes and messes. I didn't even use a quart, so it really didn't require much Polycrylic at all to cover the small area. I chose a simple stencil pattern to add some interest as well! Note: the areas that are exposed from the stencil will not be protected, so you may want to avoid too large of a pattern with thick lines on your stencil. It hasn't been a problem so far and still looks much better than my plain matte white walls from before. 

I purchased a stencil from Michael's made by FolkArt that was simple and I liked the size for such a small area. This was extremely cheap (only $5.99) and is a very thin, almost flimsy stencil. If you struggle with stenciling and brush work, you may want to purchase a thicker one. I felt confident using this one and had no problems with it's sturdiness or flexibility. I also was not shooting for the stencil to be perfect in order to add some character and charm. 

Make sure you line up each stencil by overlapping to ensure you are staying in line with the exposed areas that are not covered in the Polycrylic. Any areas that seem off or you aren't happy with you can just go over with the center section of the stencil once it's dried. Also you can touch up the exposed pattern with paint using a small watercolor brush. 

I also used a mini sponge roller, which will cause some texturing when you use a Polycrylic. If you want a smoother effect, be sure to use a traditional mini roller, not a sponge roller. Initially the sponge roller looks like bubbles, but it dries looking a little like the surface of concrete. 

In the process of working on this project I also learned it's much easier to start the stencil at the top and work your way down when working under a cabinet in a small space. The edges that don't line up perfectly are not easy to manipulate from an upward direction. One option with solving this, if you are looking for an extremely clean and perfected look, would be to purchase a few stencils and cut them to line up with the overlapping edges. I just held the edges down with my fingers and dabbed with a brush. There is a chance you will bend the stencil when doing this, so be sure to get the large areas covered first and then start on the edges. 

Also, for the edges that the roller couldn't reach, including the sockets, I simply dabbed extra Polycrylic into the corners. Again, I was not shooting for a perfect look so this was not too time consuming and I used a cheap older brush for the job. 

Here are the end results!

It's very difficult to see in photos, but is definitely noticeable in person. The light is reflecting in a way that it doesn't seem to catch the camera, but it turned out just the way I wanted. Now time to enjoy! Cheers!

Cacti for the Front Door

I finally got around to planting something on my front step this weekend, after having several years of trouble keeping anything alive. The very helpful gentleman at Lowe's recommended Cacti! I had pictured something more prickly initially, but when I saw this grouping I knew it was perfect. 

Make sure if you do plant Cacti that you purchase Cactus, Palm, and Citrus potting soil too. Also I trimmed the grass around my front stoop. It's flanked on each side with very tall grass that often spills over onto the steps. 

So happy to have done this simple little project over a busy weekend. Plants are a great and easy way to get some instant gratification in terms of sprucing up your home! Happy Hump Day and cheers! 

Coffee Scented Candle Pots

Project Items:

Mini flower pots

Smokeless wicks with bases 

Coffee beans, grounded

Cinnamon, 1T

Vanilla, 1T

Soy wax flakes, 1 box

Acrylic paint 

Mod Podge 

Sponge brush

Gold printable paper

Glitter 

Exacto knife 

Sticks or chop sticks

Empty can

Sauce pan, medium size

I had yet another birthday project to complete, so I decided to go a slightly different route. This time I went with candles. I had a few small pots that I was no longer using so I decided to clean them up and turn them into candles. It's something I remember doing as a kid so I figured why not try it again. To make the pots look nicer, I went with acrylic paint, gold leaf, and some glitter.

Once I cleaned them up, I put two layers of white paint on all three pots for a base. Be sure to paint the entire inside of the pot as well, so as the candle burns, the original surface isn't exposed. Once you've done that you are pretty much free to do what you want in terms of design.

I went with one pot to be half glitter, which I got that idea off of Pinterest and really liked the simplicity of it. The second one I also wanted it to be very simple and elegant. I used gold printable paper to write the birthday girl's name on it to stick with the white and gold theme. This was pretty simple and you can print off any font and size off of a Word or Google document. I'm sure there are other websites out there as well that you could use for fun fonts and sizes. Just as a warning though, be sure to have an exacto knife on hand to make cutting the words out much easier!

The third one I wanted to incorporate the Brazilian flag because the birthday girl is Brazilian, but cutting out the printable gold paper turned out to be more challenging due to having not the greatest scissors or an exacto knife. I ended up just going with "Brazil" written in bold letters. My first attempt I made them too small and in cursive writing. This just about drove me nuts and cutting around the letters was too much. If you can have your words cut for you; I would highly recommend doing so. Cutting by hand turned out to be extremely time consuming. 

Finally I moved on to the soy wax and smokeless wick portion. First I placed the base of the wicks in the bottom of the candle to seal off the whole that is normally there for draining the flower pot. You can also use pennies for this if your wick doesn't have a base.

Second I tied the smokeless wick to a chop stick and cut the length of the wick to fit the height of each pot. The stick will hold the wick in place while the wax sets. Be sure to keep the wick as straight as possible. Once the wax sets, simply cut the stick from the wick.

Third melt you soy wax and pour it into each pot to the desired level. Be sure to add any scents at this time too while the wax is melted. I went with a vanilla latte scent by adding a tablespoon of vanilla, some ground coffee beans, and tablespoon of cinnamon. Keep in mind that you will be able to see the coffee beans and cinnamon in the wax, so if you are wanting a clean or solid colored wax, you may not want to use only vanilla or other scents. Also be sure to follow the directions on melting the wax. If you put it directly in the sauce pan you cannot use it for food preparation. Also be careful not to burn yourself when handling the can during the pouring process. The microwave is also a good option, especially if you are doing this with kiddos. 

Once you pour up the wax, and let it set, you are all done! To speed up the process you can also place your candles in the refrigerator. Other fun options would be to add color to the wax with old crayons, or different combinations of scents! In addition to using flower pots for a container, you could also use mason jars, cut wine bottles, salsa jars, or wine glasses. Cheers!

Dinning and Patio Updates!

I really have been enjoying my dining and patio area over the past few years. Now that summer has actually kicked in, I'm hoping to grill out some(fingers crossed the rain stops soon). I started with updating the kitchen with some better lighting. For those evenings that are still hot and humid, it's much nicer dining in the AC. I decided to go with two very inexpensive floor lantern lamps from IKEA  for the corners surrounding the back sliding glass door. I went with the HOLMÖ Floor lamp for $7.99 each.


HOLMO floor lamp pictured here. I chose a soft yellow light bulb to help give the room some warmth and add a relaxed feeling. As you can see, Oppie is enjoying the new lighting as well!

The lamps were extremely easy to assemble too, and I also picked up a cute black lantern, BORRBY for $7.99 to help hide the cords. This lantern can also be used indoors or outdoors and there is a larger version available for $14.99 <Here>.



After assembling the lamp I decided to use staples to secure the cord to the wall. I then added zip ties to restrain the excess wire. This helped visually with keeping it from looking as messy. Especially because it's the first area you see when walking from the living room to the dinning/kitchen area.

I'm so happy with the results and it gives the dining room a restaurant type feel. No more harsh, unflattering overhead lighting at dinner time!

PATIO UPDATE....

I finally got around to updating my patio area as well, which has been pretty lame for some time. When I first purchased the house I chose a very affordable table and chairs from Costco. The thing with affordable is it doesn't always mean comfortable, so I went on a hunt for a comfort solution and found some basic cushions at target. They were NOT for the outdoors and I should have starched them. In time they have faded and were looking pretty sad. Additionally, my former roommate burned several holes in them from cigarettes, so it was definitely time to retire them.

I decided to go with green (big surprise), black, and white. For some time now I have looked for cushions that would fit my smaller round back chairs. I had found some on Home Decorators.com and a few other sites, but didn't really want to pay full price. In time I found almost the exact same product on Target's website! I was very excited because they also carried the throw pillows I wanted to use in the seats as well, which were also on sale. Overstock.com also carries them for a reasonable price.

In addition to the update to the chairs, I also purchased another KARDEMUMMA pot from IKEA and planted some petunias to add some color. This particular pot comes in several different sizes and designs. This is the second one I've purchased with the vertical stripes and I also have one with a diamond pattern in my bedroom.  The pot is intended for indoors, so I placed quite a bit of gravel in the base again to help with watering, and so far so good.

Can't wait to enjoy the new and improved patio with my roommate and neighbors! I'm so ready for some sunshine, drinks, and KC style BBQ! Cheers!

Homemade Spicy Pickles

 

 I don't really know a girl who doesn't love Pinterest, but we all know that often there are so many things we would like to try it's overwhelming. Too many options and ideas sometimes makes it challenging to just commit to one project and just go with it. So, I've decided to try and force myself to do at least one project per week. Try is the key word here, and I'm hoping that as long as school and work aren't too busy I can manage this summer. I've not explored a lot of things in the world of food and cooking, so I'm definitely going to explore that arena. My artistic area is mainly visual, so those projects and ideas come naturally to me, but food is just a foreign medium.  I've got several friends that are amazing cooks too, so I've always been a little intimidated, but here goes! For one of my first foodie projects I decided to try and make pickles. I LOVE spicy food so I went with a spicy pickle Pinterest recipe, but made a few small changes. Here's a link to the original recipe Homemade Spicy Dill Pickles. The only changes I made is I added some lemon and used a lot hotter spices!

First I added all of the spices and vinegar to a sauce pan and boiled for 2 minutes. Then I let it cool to room temp before adding to the pickles. This process was as easy as making spaghetti and I'm hoping to continue to play with the recipe.The pickle cucumbers I purchased had two large and two small sizes, so I decided to use the small ones for my first attempt. I also already had two small jars at home, so I was able to reuse them for the pickles. The larger pickles will require a bigger jar and hopefully my second attempt will turn out even better!

After letting them sit for a day I decided to test them out at a Kansas City Royal's game! Go KC! They lost to Boston, but our tailgate burgers, veggies, and pickles were a hit. Definitely making these again, they were crunchy and tasty!

There are so many different recipes and approaches to making pickles or even pickling fruit and other vegetables. Additionally I hope to try several different flavors including a family recipe that my mother will be providing! That recipe is for sweet pickles, so the flavoring will be very different.  Should be fun and easy to add homemade pickles to my summer BBQ's and picnics, or even as a housewarming gift. Cheers!

Ceiling Fans and Door Repair

As my home settles, several of the doors on the first floor do not close properly now. Particularly the door to the garage and the front door. Additionally the pantry doors were damaged by my former roommate and they also don't quite close correctly now. The original damage was done to the pantry door was stripped out of the henge. To fix this I took as many toothpicks as I could and jammed them into the doors stripped holes. Each time breaking off the excess toothpick. Once I did that I was able to reattach the hinges to the door by simply replacing the original screws with wood screws. All I needed was some toothpicks, wood screws, and a drill! I apologize for no photos on this project, but I did it some time ago.

The latch to the garage door that was not in alignment

To repair the latch to the garage door I needed to make sure the door was better aligned. You can use a wood router for this or just a hammer and chisel. First you have to figure out the alignment to lower the female end of the latch. This requires two steps with the chisel. Not only do you need to lower the large opening but also where the metal cover is inlaid. You can repair the area where the metal plate initially sat with some wood filler.

 The second problem with the pantry doors I faced was the original latch had worn out. The latch is located at the top of the door and involved a spring and ball mechanism called a Ball Catch. I had originally replaced one, but now both are not working again. You can usually find them easily on line when using the search term "closet door ball catch latch." My next project with the pantry doors will be to repair the damage to the wood caused by the last door latch.

The latch above the pantry door

On to the next project! I also decided to install two ceiling fans upstairs. I'll be honest...I think they are hideous and really am not a fan of ceiling fans aesthetically speaking, but they are very functional. This is especially true for a two story row home. My roommates room is directly of the garage, so keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter is a challenge. I also have very large windows in my bedroom facing west so my room heats up shortly before dusk. I'm hoping the fans will help cut down on cooling costs this summer and provide a little more comfort!

Master Bedroom Ceiling Fan

Luckily my home was pre-wired for ceiling fans. All we had to do was figure out the wiring and install. This did take some time and a lot of running up and down from the basement flipping the circuit breaker for safety. If you chose to install one yourself, please use precaution and do not attempt to do it alone. If my home wasn't already wired for a fan I would have hired someone to do it. Each fan has probably unique instructions so follow them carefully. Hopefully this is just an example of how it can be done if it's wired and ready to go.

The overhead light before

Basic wires (please turn off the circuit breaker before handling)

Be careful when testing the wires and make sure you don't attempt alone; also they may not color match the same.

Ceiling Fan parts

Might want to put a tarp down if you have trouble leveling and have to remove dry wall.

In progress

Be sure that the fan is level

Blades go on last!

I'm so glad it will be a lot cooler in my bedroom, and hopefully cut down on energy costs this summer. Cheers!